ORCHARD MEETINGS IN NEW BRUNSWICK'. 



26 



ease called ' black rot,' which has done so 

 much damage in Ohio, and in portions of 

 New York State, as well as in the western 

 part of our own Province, has gained 3. 

 strong foothold in the Niagara district, 

 where by far the larger portion of the grapes 

 consumed in Canada are produced. This 

 disease has affected primarily the Rogers 

 variety, but has also made, during the past 

 two years, severe inroads upon the vineyards 

 of Niagara grapes, and in some instances 

 has taken hold of the Concord as well. 

 Thorough and frequent applications of the 

 Bordeaux mixture have been shown to be a 

 specific for this disease, and it would seem a 

 matter of prudence for all owners of vine- 

 yards to be on the alert and check this dis- 

 ease before it shall have spread over the en- 

 tire district and have destroyed what is fast 

 coming to be the most important fruit pro- 

 duct of the section referred to. 



" Taking it all in all, the coming fruit sea- 

 son promises to be a busy one for the aver- 



age fruit grower. With the great scarcity 

 of competent help, and consequently much 

 higher wages to be paid, and a general in- 

 crease in the cost of handling the crop, un- 

 less a good distribution of the crop be made 

 and fair prices realized throughout the sea- 

 son, it may be that many of our growers 

 may not consider an abundant crop of fruit 

 an unmixed blessing. A full crop, how- 

 ever, will no doubt result in putting an 

 abundance of the gifts of the Great Creator 

 into the hands of the thousands of our cities 

 and towns who in years of scarcity cannot 

 afford to enjoy them. It only remains for 

 our express and transportaiton companies 

 to awake to the situation and provide such 

 facilities, both as to moderate rates and 

 prompt service, as shall supplement the ef- 

 forts of the vast body of earnest fruit grow- 

 ers of our Province, and the close of the sea- 

 son will see all concerned — producer, hand'- 

 ler, and consumer alike — well satisfied with 

 the result of the season's operations." 



ORCHARD MEETINGS IN NEW BRUNSWICK. 



UNDER direction of the Department 

 of Agriculture for the Dominion, 

 a series of twelve orchard meet- 

 ings was held in New Brunswick this 

 spring. 



They were addressed by Mr. Alex. Mc- 

 Neil and Mr. G. H. Vroom, Dominion Fruit 

 Inspectors, who gave practical demonstra- 

 tions in pruning, grafting, spraying, and 

 " orchard repairs " generally. 



Not a little of the success of these meet- 

 ings was due to the efforts of Mr. Thos. A. 

 Peters, Deputy Commsisioner of Agricul- 

 ture for New Brunswick, and Mr. W. W. 

 Hubbard, representing the agricultural in- 

 terests of the Canadian Pacific Railway. 



The following notes are from Mr. Mc- 



Neil's report to the Chief of the fruit divi- 

 sion : 



Our meetings covered the St. John Valley 

 from Andover South, as well as the points 

 between St. John, Hillsboro, and Shediac. 

 This wide range of country may fee con- 

 veniently divided into two districts, the one 

 lying north of Woodstock and the other 

 south. The northern division is growing 

 the hardier varieties of apples, and in cer- 

 tain favored spots the Ben Davis and some 

 of the winter varieties succeed. The south- 

 ern district is growing all the commercial 

 varieties, but the Duchess (New Bruns- 

 wicker) is the commonest variety, and in 

 many places is grown to the exclusion of all 

 others. 



